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The liberation of Friesland
The liberation of Friesland
By 18 April, the whole province of Friesland had been liberated, except for the Wadden Islands. Compared to other provinces, there was little fighting in Friesland. Overall, the few thousand German troops who had been unable to escape from Friesland were defeated by the Canadians relatively quickly.
The commander of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Lieutenant Colonel Landell, praised the actions of the resistance by stating that "Friesland liberated herself". While that may be a bit of an exaggeration, the actions of the Frisian resistance undoubtedly accelerated the liberation. And reduced the number of casualties on the Allied side.
At least 31 resistance fighters lost their lives in confrontations with German troops and their Dutch accomplices. At least eleven Canadians and one Frenchman were killed on the Allied side. Dozens of civilian victims were also killed in the fighting and shelling. The number of casualties on the German side is not known, but it is believed that the number ran into hundreds. With 320 destroyed and 4000 damaged homes and 80 destroyed bridges, Friesland was materially the least damaged province of the Netherlands.
Many German soldiers fled towards the western part of the country. The retreating German troops gathered mostly in Harlingen, Makkum and Lemmer. From there, they tried to get away by boat across the IJsselmeer or via the Afsluitdijk to North Holland. The Wadden Islands also became a refuge for collaborators and German soldiers. Here, liberation was longer in coming.
On the island of Terschelling, the last German troops were disarmed by a British artillery regiment on 29 May. Two days later, the British crossed from Terschelling to Vlieland, and the liberation of that island was also a fact. Ameland was liberated on 3 June.
Personnel from the infamous Scholtenhuis, the SD headquarters in Groningen, had entrenched themselves on Schiermonnikoog. After their departure on 31 May, there was a celebration on the island, in spite of the six hundred members of the occupying troops who still were there. Only on 11 June did the last German soldiers leave Schiermonnikoog, and then the whole province of Friesland was free.
Most Canadian units that had liberated Friesland continued the battle in Groningen and North Germany after 18 April. Their war ended on 8 May 1945, when the surrender of all German armed forces became effective.
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'Living Room Theatre' De Wier Koarnjum
'Living Room Theatre' De Wier Koarnjum
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Recreatie Tolbrugschans
Recreatie Tolbrugschans
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Heerenveen
Heerenveen
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De Ried
De Ried
The Ried tells the story of Frisian water management: from an inland lake to a drainage channel. Along the waterway lie ancient terps, bearing witness to the long history of settlement in this region.
In the 17th century, the Ried area was transformed through the construction of ditches and a new drainage channel, creating the present-day Ried. Small polders were established along the waterway, draining excess water into the Ried. Today, this waterway forms part of the skating route of the Elfstedentocht, where it is known as one of the more challenging sections.
South of the Ried lies an area with several historic terps. Although many of these dwelling mounds have partly disappeared due to excavation and land consolidation, the area remains archaeologically valuable. There are also stories about possible ley lines that are believed by some to connect this location with other remarkable historic sites.
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Brasserie Booming
Brasserie Booming
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Execution of ten Dutch collaborators near Oldeberkoop
Execution of ten Dutch collaborators near Oldeberkoop
On the afternoon of 12 April, Oldeberkoop was liberated by "D" Squadron of the Royal Canadian Dragoons. Later that day, they established a temporary headquarters in the village. The movements of "D" squadron were coordinated from the headquarters. This was also the place where prisoner of war from the immediate surroundings were gathered.
These prisoners of war were often Germans, but sometimes also Dutch who served voluntarily in the Waffen-SS, the NSKK (a paramilitary section of the Nazi party NSDAP) or the Dutch Landwacht. On this 12th of April, ten of these collaborators were brought into the encampment in Oldeberkoop amid great interest. Hatred of people who fought with or for the Germans was strong among most of the Dutch population. A resident of Oldeberkoop described the moment the men were brought in:
"The crowd booed and whistled, some spat, and some could not keep their hands off them. One of them got such a blow to the head that hit made his head spin."Not much later, these POWs were taken away again. Presumably with the aim of taking them to a real prison camp in Vledder. But the men would never get there. All ten of them were shot without trial in the Koepelbos just outside Oldeberkoop.
It was long thought that the Canadians were responsible for these unlawful executions. But by 1995, it became clear that Canadian involvement had been minimal. Stories about the involvement of two former resistance fighters were confirmed when one of them confessed to having fired the shots. In addition to himself, a colleague, a Canadian driver and some men who had dug the graves were present at the execution.
The exact reason for the murder of the Dutch collaborators and the exact role of the two Dutchmen and the Canadian have never been fully clarified. There are different accounts of the events leading up to the shooting. On 14 April, the bodies were finally buried in a mass grave on the side of the road. Later they were transferred to the German war cemetery in Ysselsteyn. The names of most of the victims also became known at that time:
Egbert Jan Hommes, Ordnungspolizei
Otto Frikken, Ordnungspolizei
Gerrit Jan Seevinck, Dutch Landwacht
Hendrik Dales, Dutch Landwacht
Heike Ham, Dutch Landwacht
Douwe Jonkman, Dutch Landwacht
Bernard Janssen, Dutch Landwacht
Arnold Pieter Post, Dutch Landwacht
The identities of two men from the Dutch Landwacht could not yet be ascertained.
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Eysinga State - Vakantievilla Eyland 5p
Eysinga State - Vakantievilla Eyland 5p
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Natuurmuseum Fryslân (Frisian Museum of Natural History)
Natuurmuseum Fryslân (Frisian Museum of Natural History)
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Minicamping Friesland
Minicamping Friesland
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Restaurant d'Ald Wal
Restaurant d'Ald Wal
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Westhoek (De Westhoek)
Westhoek (De Westhoek)
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Recreatiepark de Uilenburg - Safaritent Jutrijp
Recreatiepark de Uilenburg - Safaritent Jutrijp
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Welgelegen - Retro caravan
Welgelegen - Retro caravan
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FrieWheelers Friesland
FrieWheelers Friesland
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Fûgel frij
Fûgel frij
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Holland Casino Leeuwarden
Holland Casino Leeuwarden
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Groepsaccommodatie De Kikkert
Groepsaccommodatie De Kikkert
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Beach Resorts Makkum - Beachvilla Royaal
Beach Resorts Makkum - Beachvilla Royaal
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Camping De Stjelp
Camping De Stjelp
Sustainability info
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Heegermeer (Hegemer Mar)
Heegermeer (Hegemer Mar)
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Prins van Oranje Jachtbemiddeling
Prins van Oranje Jachtbemiddeling
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Koffiebar Knus
Koffiebar Knus
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Zijda Yachting - Jordy Elite
Zijda Yachting - Jordy Elite
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